


Currents

by allisonofagun



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Tangled (2010) Fusion, Campaign: Graduation (The Adventure Zone), M/M, Pining, Prince Fitzroy, Secrets, Slow Burn, Sometimes Argo can be a good rogue as a treat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:34:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26185015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allisonofagun/pseuds/allisonofagun
Summary: Once upon a time, in the Kingdom known as Last Hope a young prince was born with extraordinary powers, destined to become a great ruler. Until one night we was stolen from his home, hidden away in a tower by a man who seeks to use him for his powers.Now Fitzroy is a young man who wants nothing more than to leave his tower and see the world.Argo is a Rogue who hopes this final job can be his ticket to a new life away from his past, but it seems he picked the wrong tower to hide out in...A Maplekeene Tangled!AU
Relationships: Argo Keene/Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt
Comments: 4
Kudos: 42





	1. The Lost Prince

**Author's Note:**

> Hello. This fic has been living in my brain rent free for months now and I'm so excited to finally post the first chapter. 
> 
> I play pretty fast and loose with canon, but I tried not to make it too different and I hope you can follow along alright. I started writing this around Episode 18 so that was the character development I was working with at the start of this fic. I plan to incorporate newer episode canon as I work through new chapters, but it shouldn't change my overall story too much. 
> 
> This follows the general plot of the movie Tangled, but as the story progresses I really do plan to have it diverge from the original story line. Things will definitely be changed to fit the characters more. 
> 
> There is Disney/TAZ typical violence in this. As well as Manipulation that is Mother Gothel esque. Just as a warning. 
> 
> This is the first fic I've written in six years and the first time I've written for TAZ so please be gentle :')
> 
> I hope you enjoy! This is dedicated to my Discord group. Love y'all (:

Long ago in the land of Nua, there was a kingdom at the edge of the world, bordered by a vast chasm and an unknown forest. The land was refuge for many, which caused the kingdom officially named Hope to be referred to as Last Hope by the locals. The king and queen were formerly commoners, risen to power from an old forgotten blood line and they treated the people of Last Hope with grace and kindness. The world was well and the kingdom rejoiced when they received the news that Queen Dendra was pregnant with her first child. 

On the day the baby was due, a terrible storm formed over the castle. The sky became a dark slate gray. Lightning streaked across the sky and booming thunder shook the earth, the air was alive with electricity. The baby was born crackling with magic energy the world had never before seen. It was prophesied that his power would grow and bring strength and protection to the kingdom in his rule. While unexpected, the kingdom celebrated the birth and ceremoniously gave the child the title “Stormbringer”. 

Of course, this joy did not last long. A few months later, under the guise of night while the kingdom slept, a mysterious figure snuck in and stole the child. The guards on duty were powerless to stop them, defeated with overwhelming power and might. From the small glimpses they caught of the intruder that fateful night, the guards swore they could see horns and skin the color of dark stone. Before they could do anything to retaliate, the figure was gone, the child disappearing along with them. 

The queen and king were devastated by the loss of their child and the kingdom mourned alongside them. Every year on the child’s birthday they would light lanterns and send them into the sky to light up the night akin to how the lightning lit the sky on the night of the child’s birth, and hoped the lanterns would one day lead their lost prince home. 

Far away in a hidden tower long forgotten, a young Sir Fitzroy grew up, isolated and alone. He was raised by a man named Hieronymous who claimed to be his uncle. Fitzroy was sheltered from the outside world; but the walls of that tower could not hide everything. Every year on the night of his birthday, young Fitzroy would climb out of his bed and stare out into the night sky as it filled with a distant dazzling light. Fitzroy would drink this light in with his eyes and feel a tug in his heart that he couldn’t quite place, but in his dreams he imagined that the lights were meant for him.

Fitzroy grew up alone, and without much to do at all, boredom was a comfortable feeling for the lost prince. Sometimes Hieronymous would attempt to keep him occupied. He would bring the boy books that told stories of honorable heroes, ancient myths, and far off lands. Fitzroy especially liked stories that told of chivalrous knights. He found great joy passing his time imagining himself into those stories becoming a beloved hero, saving people in need, being loved by people beyond his uncle. Respected for his actions and not just his power. 

Fitzroy always had felt an energy surging through his blood but one day when he was about five years old he sneezed and released a booming shock wave that destroyed his wardrobe. Hieronymous had grown very excited at this. He told Fitzroy he was born with great power and encouraged him to continue to let his magic grow. 

It was a couple years later that Fitzroy first questioned why he couldn’t leave the tower.  
“We stay in this tower to protect you Fitzroy. There are people of this world that would want to use your power for evil” Hieronymous answered him. 

“But I’ve gotten good at my magic! I can handle myself! Maybe I can use my power for good!” Fitzroy pleaded. 

“No, you have not reached your full power. The world is not ready for you yet,” Hieronymous responded in turn. 

Fitzroy screamed in frustration and a shockwave sent Hieronymous flying back against the wall. The anger immediately left Fitzroy’s body and he rushed over to his uncle. His guardian seemed slightly dazed and his pale skin now had an ashy gray complexion. As Fitzroy had approached, Hieronymous put out a hand signaling the boy to wait. Then slowly called him over. Fitzroy knelt beside him and Hieronymous put a hand on the boys head, Fitzroy felt his body grow lax and his muscles felt tired. Slowly the peachy color returned to the man’s face and as he was revitalized he stood and faced the boy with a stern expression. 

“Fitzroy listen to me, you are capable of extraordinary power. The outside world cannot be trusted with power like that. There are people who want to steal your magic for themselves, the people of this world would not understand your powers as I do, they would take one look at you and fear you for the great power you possess.” Something dark twinkled in Hieronymous’ eyes, “We must keep you away from the world, and from anyone else Fitzroy, the world will fall to Chaos, and it would be at your hand.” Fitzroy stared at his hands and felt hot tears well in his eyes. He felt the pressure of his great destiny crash over him and he swore to himself he would not let it come to pass. 

That was the day that Fitzroy first noticed that Hieronymous was able to absorb some of Fitzroy’s power. He didn’t mention it. But he was silently relieved, especially after that incident, in a sense that it quelled his powers for a couple hours and made him feel a bit more in control. Even after their spat, Hieronymous continued to push Fitzroy’s magic. He brought the boy a maul infused with magic in a way to help encourage him to channel his power. Fitzroy tried his best to continue to grow, but every time his spells had physical action he saw Hieronymous’ body hit the wall in his mind and he would freeze mid-spell in a panic. He never wanted to hurt anyone with his powers ever again. 

Slowly, he tried to reacquaint with his magic. Mostly out of boredom, he started to use it again in small creative ways around his tower. He stayed careful and guarded, using prestidigitation to make small illusions or quaint cantrips. He was determined to get better control of his magic on his own. He reasoned that if he succeeded in this task, he wouldn’t be a danger to the world and maybe Hieronymous would allow him to leave and he could introduce himself to a world who was supposed to fear him. He could prove Hieronymous and the whole world wrong. He just had to keep working. 

As years passed, Hieronymous seemed to become more busy and decided he did not have to spend every day in the tower watching over Fitzroy. This is when Fitzroy began to feel his loneliest. Days would go by where he had no one but himself; his restlessness and boredom grew worse. He had re-read every story on his shelf countless of times and at this point knew them all by heart. He tried on every piece of clothing he owned and made as many superfluous outfits as he could. However, with limited clothes and fabric he quickly ran out of garment combinations. When he was completely out of options and his loneliness really set in, he would stare out his window and dream of places he would possibly never see. 

His thoughts drifted to distant shores and towering mountains, things he had only read about and could only vaguely imagine. His mind drifted to animals, beyond the birds that flew up to his window, he had read of so many fascinating creatures. He dared to dream of meeting people, of traveling to towns, and dancing with a beautiful stranger. He wished to make connections with the world, to be accepted and not feared for his power. Fitzroy wanted a place in this world, beyond this tower, and he wanted a friend. 

He glanced down at the book open in his lap. It was a book of myths he had read countless times, and the page was open to a picture of a beach with sharp looking creatures, the book identified these animals as “crabs”. Fitzroy thought they looked quite odd, but in a cute sort of way. Lost in his little daydream he was feeling wistful and lonely, he thoughtlessly wished to see one in person one day. Suddenly his chest started to glow a faint blue. Fitzroy panicked for an instant, but as quickly as it started the light faded and before him sat a glowing creature that looked similar to the animal on the page. Fitzroy had summoned a crab. Stunned, he blinked at the crab in awe. The crab blinked back. 

Fitzroy glanced around the room and back at the creature before him, “uhh hello uh crab are you, did you come from my magic?” He asked weakly. He couldn’t think of anything else to say. The crab gurgled softly and a strange tingle in his brain suggested that yes, this crab was a manifestation of his magic. 

“Well that’s nice, I was not aware my magic could.. do that,” he said slightly perplexed. “Are you here forever? Or are you going to fade? Or what’s the deal here?” 

The crab gurgled contemplatively. 

Fitzroy understood that the crab wasn’t sure, but it seemed he was here for as long as Fitzroy wanted him here.  
“Ok so my magic’s a crab and you’re here until I don’t want you. Um, alright, I am not sure what to call you yet, do you want to figure it out while we find you a snack or something?” 

The crab made happy little bubbles. 

After a little deliberation on the necessities of glowing crabs and their eating schedules and a couple of cheese pieces sliced by the claw later, Fitzroy decided to call his new companion Snippers. And so, his days became a little less lonely. He would tell Snippers about his dreams of leaving the tower, his aspiration to become a knight, and his fascination with the lights that filled the sky on his birthday. He took great joy in sharing the stories of heroic quests he envisioned himself going on as Sir Fitzroy, performing with excessive flair to Snippers and acting out battles with his maul. Snippers reacted right on cue and with equal drama along the way. Snippers never did fade, as it turns out Fitzroy never wanted him to leave. He was much happier with a friend. 

It was the eve of his twenty fourth birthday and Fitzroy had a nervous energy about him, tiny sparks bounced from his skin in anticipation. He had been training his magic for years now and he felt that he had a lot better handle on it that he ever had before. He recognized that his magic was tied to him emotions, and he found if he got angry or frustrated it would spike and run haywire. He had gotten a bit more confident and had even worked up the courage to learn some spells that had a bit of a punch to them, but he was always careful to aim them. He felt that he had enough control to be able to face the world, even if they did not completely understand him. He was ready to go into the world, even just for a day. Now he just had to prove it to Hieronymous. 

Hieronymous came around the time Fitzroy had come to expect, in mid-afternoon after being gone for about three days. Fitzroy had prepared the pulley and rope system they had been using for years that allowed him to pull Hieronymous up once he arrived. This time around, he pulled his guardian up with little effort as he had been doing this chore for years and built up quite a bit of muscle to show for it. Secretly, Fitzroy liked to think his muscles were preparing him for trials of a knight, but that was just a small fantasy he held in his heart. 

Hieronymous’ figure loomed as he stood in the window frame. He had that grayish tint to his skin that was always present after his travels and his eyes glinted a color Fitzroy always swore different than his usual hue. “Hello Fitzroy,” Hieronymous spoke in a low, slow tone, “I hope your last few days have been well. Tell me how is your magic developing?” he asked routinely as he rested a hand on Fitzroy’s head. 

Fitzroy felt a familiar fatigue wash over his body as he saw the color return to his guardian’s face. The man smiled warmly, but Fitzroy had to suppress a shiver that ran up his spine. “Oh you know, progress as always! Finally nailed down that one spell I was having a trip with. Watch this!” And he casts Disguise Self upon his person and immediately changed to look like Hieronymous. The original raised his eyes in bemused surprise and Fitzroy changed back into his original form. “Which actually brings up what I wanted to tell you Hieronymous.” He hesitated for a moment, taking a breath and building up his courage, “As you probably know my birthday is tomorrow!” He said with a bit of giddy excitement behind the words. 

Hieronymous frowned, “No, no, that can’t be right. I do remember, your birthday is next month,” He retorted.

Fitzroy nervously bounced on the balls of his feet, “Nope! I believe you are mistaken, I’ve been counting the days for quite a while now!” He paused and took a breath to regain his composure, “I’m turning twenty four tomorrow, and there’s something I’ve wanted for uh, quite a few years now” he trails off nervously, watching the crease between Hieronymous’ brow grow more prominent. In the corner of his eye, Fitzroy sees Snippers raise a claw in moral support, a tingling message is beamed into his brain cheering him on. Fitzroy nodded slightly, clenched his fists, and faced back towards Hieronymous. “I want to go see the lights fill the sky.” 

His guardian pauses for a brief moment, contemplating quietly. “Oh, you must be referring to the stars,” he said in a neutral unimpressed tone. 

“That’s the thing, I’ve looked out my tower window every night, and the stars seem to stay constant. But these lights they only show up one day of the year, my birthday, and they fill the entire sky with this dazzling light and I-“ He gazed out the window behind Hieronymous and felt a familiar tug at his heart, “-I feel like they are meant for me.” He whispered wistfully. 

Hieronymous’ frown deepens and he gazed down at Fitzroy with imposing eyes, “Now don’t be ridiculous Fitzroy, why would those lights be for you? We’ve spent your whole life in this tower.” 

Fitzroy felt a slight blush of embarrassment heat his ears, “Well I suppose that is a bit silly of an idea, but I still would like to see them. Not just from my tower, but in person. I want to know what they mean. Please Hieronymous, will you take me? It will just be for a day.” He pleaded. 

A dark shadow fell over Hieronymous’ eyes. “Fitzroy, we’ve talked about this before. Your power is too precious, the world is not ready for you yet.”

Fitzroy pushed down his bubbling frustration and countered with his argument, “But maybe I’m ready for the world! I’ve looked out that window for so long, dreaming of places beyond this tower and all the people I could help with my magic. This is what I’ve been training for. I’ve really gotten my Rage under control and I have a good sense of my power! I could even hide myself or not use my power this first time out. Please Hieronymous I’ve grown into a strong young man, I can’t stay here forever!” 

Hieronymous’ face was grim and he began slowly pacing around Fitzroy, “Listen to me Fitzroy, I’m the only one in the world who understands you and the potential your power holds. I know for a fact you are not ready for the world out there.” Hieronymous placed his hands on Fitzroy’s shoulders and continued “We are not so different you and I; we draw from the same power. Trust me when I say, I know what is best for you. The world is cruel and will take advantage of you by any means necessary to get a hold of your power. As soon as the people of this world find out about your power and the powerful Rage that lives inside you they will use you for their own devices. Those people you are so keen to meet will fear you, and they will hate you.”

Fitzroy balled his fists as he felt a creeping sense of defeat crawl over his heart. Tears of frustration welling in his eyes. 

Hieronymous placed a hand on Fitzroy’s shoulder once more, and the young man winced slightly to the touch, but looked up to meet Hieronymous’ eyes. They are cold and unreadable. “If you go out there now, and the world finds out about your power, everything we’ve worked for the last twenty years will be for nothing. I am done with this conversation Fitzroy, you must never ask to leave this tower again.” He says, with a tone of finality. 

“Yes, Uncle,” Fitzroy sighed in defeat.

“I have some things to attend to. I’ll be back soon, in the meantime maybe think of something else you would want for you birthday, since you are so insistent upon the thing, and perhaps make it a bit more reasonable,” he sneered. Hieronymous turned his back toward the young man and walked toward the balconied window, Fitzroy followed behind him quietly. 

Fitzroy slowly eased him down with the pulley once more and gazed out the window as he watched Hieronymous leave the clearing. Snippers scuttled out from behind his hiding place and approached Fitzroy leaning wistfully on the window ledge. He curled up next to Fitzroy’s hand and began making soft comforting bubbling noises. Fitzroy placed a light hand upon the crab, and petted him softly with a sigh, “Yeah, that could’ve gone better.”


	2. The Rogue and His Heist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Argo gets to prove that sometimes he can be a good rogue, but he is still terrible at keeping secrets.

Argo didn’t want a castle. He wanted a nice ship so he could live his dreams, be anyone he wanted and never set foot on this land again. Salty air stinging your cheeks, a warm breeze blowing through your hair, and gentle waves to rocking you to sleep, what more could a guy need. But as he stood on the roof above the royal vault, he took in the view of the kingdom from his perch and thought to himself that a castle wouldn’t be too bad either. Regardless, if he wanted a boat or a castle, he had to complete this one final job. How hard could it be? Stealing the missing prince’s royal cloak from the Palace of Last Hope, right from under the guards’ noses? Piece of cake. 

He glanced over at his companion. He was a wizard named Calhain who had claimed to have intel on how to break into the royal vault, and promised to share if Argo provided his rouging abilities for assistance. Argo wasn’t an idiot, and he could hardly say he trusted Calhain, which came pretty standard with just about everyone in his profession. He reasoned that he could bounce before Calhain could even try anything sneaky behind his back. He just had to focus, get in get out, and they could part ways before things broke bad. 

Calhain was studying the tiles below their feet with a single minded focus. He then raised his hands and casted a spell that opened a hole into the room below. Argo had to admit, the guy appeared pretty wimpy but he really had some strong magic behind him. The wizard turned to him and gave him a sickly sweet smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, “Alright pretty boy, you’re up. Don’t forget to grab both of our little trinkets,” he said as he threw Argo a rope. 

Argo gave him an annoyed huff as he took the rope. He raised an eyebrow and glanced over the wiry man. He wore a black glove covered with arcane runes on his hand, and still had that paper thin smile stuck to his face. Yeah, Argo did not like this guy, and he definitely didn’t trust him. The quicker he was done with this little heist, the better. 

He tied the rope around his waist and Calhain slowly lowered him into the room below. As he descended he took in the treasury beneath him; jewels, crowns, gilded weapons all lay below him in display cases and chests. He zeroed in on his prize. A luxurious cloak, deep burgundy with a golden marigold underlayer, embroidered and shimmering. And next to the cloak, resting on a plush cushion sat an apple. The fruit was perfectly symmetrical with a yellow side and a ruby red side. It didn’t seem particularly special, but Calhain had instructed him to grab it, and Argo had decided not to question it, figuring it was some sort of magic item. 

He finally was at arm’s reach above the treasures and he quickly glanced at the guards on duty. The guys were completely oblivious to Argo’s intrusion. Their facing away from the treasure and they were turned toward the doors, as if a thief would be so obvious as to walk through the front door. Argo quickly grabbed the cloak and the apple and slipped them both into his bag. He did a double tug, the universal signal to pull someone up on a rope, when one of the guards sneezed. Argo riding the thrill of having successfully acquired the treasures couldn’t stop himself from goading. 

“Ah allergies, huh? That pollen will really getcha,” Argo called casually. 

“Ugh, yeah,” the guard responded before realization dawned on him, “Hey, Wait!” But it was too late, Argo was already being pulled toward the ceiling and away from the chaos erupting below. 

Once he was pulled up onto the roof, Calhain was fuming, “You are by far the WORST Rogue I have ever met in my entire life!” He shouted furiously as they started to run. 

“Yeah well, I get the job done don’t I!” Argo fired back and held up the satchel as proof. They cambered over the roofs of Last Hope as they made their daring escape through the city. They landed at the entrance gate as alarm bells rang through the kingdom, and picked up the pace as they fled out of the city. 

They crossed the bridge leading into Last Hope, Argo glanced over to see they were already being pursued. Leading the brigade was the Captain of the Guard: Buckminster and his right hand man Leon. Argo gulped and ran faster, hoping to lose them in the forest. They ducked and dove through twisting branches and gnarled roots; weaving through the trees until the shouts from the guards grew distant behind them. Argo and Calhain paused for a moment to catch their breath. 

“I cannot believe you have managed to live this long in this profession if this is how you approach all your missions,” Calhain huffed, he was bent over slightly hands resting on his knees. 

“Yeah well, this lifestyle wasn’t exactly my first choice. But now I’ll never have to do this again,” Argo replied tiredly. He reached into the bag, fished out the apple and tossed it to Calhain. 

The wizard caught it clumsily and inspected it in his hands. His eyes flickered with intense, obsessive power and he smiled that crooked smile once again. A bad feeling started to sink into Argo’s stomach. 

“Uh, if you don’t mind me asking. What exactly is that apple for? Seems like an ordinary apple to me,” Argo asked cautiously. 

Calhain’s eyes snapped up, away from the apple, and he gave a dry laugh, “Aha, to a measly rogue it might seem like a simple apple, but this holds more magic energy than you could possibly comprehend. It carries an ancient dark magic that could do a multitude of extraordinary things in the right hands.” Calhain smiled wickedly to himself. 

Argo felt a pang of dread after hearing the words dark magic. He realized having that apple in Calhain’s possession was a very bad idea. Before Argo could do anything a crossbow bolt whizzed past his ear. Calhain’s eyes widened as the bolt lodged in the tree beside his head, and he hastily shouted, “Run!” 

The guards were hot on their trails once more as they bobbed over and around the dense trees. The thud of horse hooves and the commanding of orders following closely behind them. They kept running until they came upon a cliff, cornered. Argo thinking quickly turned to Calhain spoke hurriedly, “Ok, give me a boost an then I’ll pull you up.” 

The wizard quirked an eyebrow in suspicion. But Argo continued, “Listen we are out of options, you’re going to have to trust me.” 

Calhain’s ears perked up to the sound of shouts getting louder behind them, “Alright, but give me your prized cloak first.” 

“Alright, if that’s what I need to do for us to get out of here.” Argo said. He shrugged indifferently and handed over his bag. Calhain took it and turned toward the cliff crouched down to allow Argo to climb on his shoulders. Argo assessed the wizard quickly before climbing up his back and launching himself off his shoulders. He quickly scampered to the top of the overhang. He looked down at Calhain who held out a hand expectantly. 

Argo chuckled and held up his bag and the apple. “Not such a bad rogue after all, now am I?” He teased. 

He watched as confusion quickly turned to anger on Calhain’s face, “Argo Keene!” he shrieked and the sound echoed through the forest as the rogue continued to run through the forest. He did not get too far before he came upon drop off leading to a valley below. Argo quickly scanned the cliffside for a place to descend, he was running out of time. 

Before he could form a coherent plan his thoughts where interrupted by a shockwave coming from behind him and he was blasted off the side of the ridge. Disoriented and confused, Argo twisted his body midair to see what had attacked him. He saw Calhain stepping into the clearing. His gloved hand raised and his eyes a glowing prismatic white. 

I definitely fucked up, he thought as he careened down the side of the cliff. 

He landed not-so gracefully on a grassy patch in a dark wood, alive, but he would definitely feel that fall tomorrow. He looked up through the dense canopy of trees and saw Calhain glance over the side of the ravine. Argo pulled himself back into the shadows of the forest. It didn’t seem like the Calhain saw him, but the guy was definitely still after him. Argo got up and continued deeper into the woods with a sense of urgency in his step, he did not want to see what that wizard would do to him once he caught up. He had to find somewhere to hide, and fast. 

He jogged around the unfamiliar area, being careful to keep hidden under the tree tops in case Calhain spotted him. He hiked over the forest floor, getting a bit lost, until he came upon a thicket that seemed impassable. Argo was about to shrug it off and find another route, but something caught his eyes. If he leaned his head one way or the other the thick branches would slightly shimmer as the angle changed. Puzzled, he stuck a hand out to the curtain of leaves curiously. The hand phased easily through the faux foliage. Argo yanked his hand back in surprise. He looked behind him at the thick, unknown forest and back to the thicket and decided to go forward. This seemed as good of a hiding spot as anything, and it beat the creepy dark woods. 

He walked through the mirage with little resistance and found a dark tunnel on the other side. He peered down the passageway and saw soft light and a clearing up ahead. Argo let go a bit of the tension he had been holding in his shoulders, and mentally kicked himself for having taken the apple. Well maybe not for taking the apple, but for revealing to Calhain that he had taken the apple. He’s really got to stop revealing his scheme to victims he’s stolen from, but it’s just so funny to see their faces. 

He looked into his bag as he walked through the tunnel. The apple sat nestled in the bag, the cloak folded next to it. For such a simple looking thing it caused him quite a bit of trouble, but as soon as Calhain had said it was a relic for dark magic he knew immediately that he had to get it out of that wizard’s hands. He hadn’t spoken to Jackal, his mentor, in a while but he knew the apple had to be relevant to the mission of their secret society, The Unbroken Chain, and their investigation into the dark magic slowly taking over Nua. Argo was just going to have to hold onto this thing until he could meet up with Jackal again. He wasn’t sure when that would be though, or if Jackal was still alive, he hadn’t met Argo for their last rendezvous and the last time they had spoken Jackal had alluded to the idea of him sneaking into the royal palace for information. If Jackal had tried it, Argo assumed it didn’t go well. Nevertheless, he was going to hold onto this apple until he saw Jackal or another member of the Unbroken Chain again, regardless of how much trouble it caused him. 

He reached the other side of the tunnel, which opened to a pristine clearing filled with soft grass and wildflowers, with a babbling brook gently cutting through the lush field and at the center of it loomed a great tower. The tower was tall, with a charming rustic aesthetic. It had ivy climbing up its walls and seemed to be made up of rock and mossy cobblestone of varying sizes. It also seemed abandoned. Argo got closer and circled the building, searching for a door and finding none. He craned his neck backwards to see a landing leading to a window at the top of the tower. He still felt a bit uncomfortable without a proper hiding spot, and figured this would be a good place to lay low for a bit. He decided to climb the tower. 

(With a successful athletics check) He scaled the side of the tower using the daggers he had stored away in his pockets. He reached the top of the landing quickly enough and heaved himself over the side of the balcony. He pushed open the shudders, tumbled into a dim room, turned and shut the shudders behind him. 

Alone at Last

He thought to himself, reaching into his bag to check on the cloak and apple before noticing light periwinkle sparkles at the corner of his vision, and the faint smell of lavender before he fell unconscious to the floor. 

Fitzroy stood behind him, hand still raised from casting Sleep, his eyes wide with surprise. 

What just happened?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize we've gone two chapters and the boys still haven't technically met yet but that will change at the beginning of next chapter ;) 
> 
> Next update might take a little longer, but hopefully will be up within one to two weeks. College has been keeping me busy. Hope you enjoyed the story so far!!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Next chapter should be up within a week.


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